Shirley Baskin Familian Dies: Co-Founder Of KCET & Public TV Pioneer, Was 101
deadline.comShirley Baskin Familian, the public TV pioneer, multimedia artist, philanthropist and businesswoman who was involved in the founding of Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream, passed away peacefully on the night of October 13 with her children at her side, according to her family.
She was 101. Familian was deeply involved in KCET since its advent in 1964. During her seven decades on the board, the channel produced the landmark series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage with Carl Sagan, produced or presented The Cousteau Odyssey and American Family for PBS.
It was one of the consortium of stations that produced the Emmy-winning American Playhouse. Huell Howser’s folksy California’s Gold was also produced at the KCET lot until Howser’s death in 2013.
Familian was honored by The KCET Women’s Council at the organization’s annual fundraiser, Star Luncheon, in 2011. As an artist, Familian used stamps to create collages, images and new versions of everyday things like a stool or a mannequin.
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